scattered pieces
by Marquise de Nile
Summary: Collection of stories written for Yatori Week 2014 on Tumblr. / Day Seven: Goodbyes. Sometimes it's not that bad.
1. Azure

Yatori Week Day One

Prompt: One colour.

Disclaimer: I don't own Noragami.

**.**

**Azure**

**.**

When she was a child, Hiyori liked to draw. Houses with crooked walls and misshapen, pointed roofs, stick people and animals made from oblongs on spidery legs, flowers sprouting everywhere in their standard five-petaled glory and trees resembling porcupines hanging from lamp posts, and above all of that a smiling sun sending its rays to the happy occupants of her childish pictures.

Once Hiyori's parents bought her a 64-colour pack of crayons and she made it a point to use every single one of them. But there was one she used the most often. From several hues of blue, she chose the bright azure to paint the sky with bold strokes, pressing the crayon to the paper with her chubby little fingers with enough force to sometimes tear a hole in it, just to obtain the most vivid colour. Without a blue, blue sky her drawings would have been incomplete. Little Hiyori's inner artist accepted nothing less.

With how much she drew, it was no wonder the favourite azure crayon was used up first from all the other colours. She had to substitute it with a navy blue or ultramarine, but it wasn't the same anymore. She didn't like it as much.

Now, years later, Hiyori rarely draws. She's convinced that she has no talent whatsoever and only reaches for art supplies when the class requires it.

Hiyori sighs and stares at a blank sheet, a pencil poised above it. She has to start on her art project - a portrait of a famous person - but her head is as devoid of ideas for who to draw as the paper before her. She wishes for some form of divine inspiration.

If only it was that easy…

"Hey, Hiyori, what's up?"

A hand landing on her shoulder startles the girl and she jumps in her seat with a small yelp. She whirls around. "Yato! Don't scare me like that!"

"Not my fault you're easily scared," he says with a cheeky smile, which she can't help but return.

"I'm not! Besides, what are you doing here? I'm busy!" She crosses her arms resolutely. She can't allow him to distract her from the schoolwork. She wants to maintain her good grades, which isn't that easy when you're an acquaintance of a troublesome god like Yato.

"You're going to draw something?" he asks. "Let me see!"

"I haven't even started yet." Hiyori hangs her head, her depressive thoughts coming back at the reminder of her dilemma. "I'm not that good at this."

"Want me to help?" Yato immediately offers and she gives him a hopeful look.

"Really? You would?" There were literally stars in her eyes. Yato chuckled.

"Of course! For five yen, I can take any job!"

Hiyori blinked. Oh yeah, with Yato it's always about the payment. But it's not much and she knows how important it is to him to gather funds for his own shrine. With a gentle smile, she reaches into her wallet and hands over a small coin.

"Hiyori Iki, your wish has been heard loud and clear!"

Yato flips the coin and throws it into his bottle with the rest of his meagre savings. He rubs his hands together gleefully. "Well then, what do you want me to draw?"

"Yato! That's cheating!" Hiyori scolds. "I need to draw a picture myself for it to count."

"I see," Yato nods. "So, you just want advice?"

She gives an affirmation and they get to work.

A few arguments about the subject of the drawing and several balled up pitiful art attempts thrown into the trash later, they are back to square one.

"Woah, Hiyori, you are bad at this…"

She slumps in defeat, her long hair curtaining the gloomy expression as the black cloud of despair floats above her head. "I told you…"

Yato looks at her neutrally, thinking something over, then moves to stand behind her chair. He grabs her right hand, which still holds the pencil. "I have an idea," he announces.

Hiyori peeks curiously at him and he smiles reassuringly.

"If I help you trace the contours, it won't be cheating, right? Because it will still be your work, just with a little assistance," he reasons.

"This might work," Hiyori says slowly, feeling elated. Maybe this time she finally won't show up in class with a terrible art blob, but an actual nice picture!

"You see? Let's do this!" he encourages energetically, flashing her a flamboyant grin.

Hiyori straightens in her seat and allows Yato to guide her hand, leading it across the fresh sheet of paper in another try. His hand is warm and, despite Yukine's claims, not at all sweaty. Hiyori breathes in and catches a familiar, pleasant scent, strong with Yato's proximity. She loses all of her concentration on their work and instead focuses solely on his presence. He's standing right behind her, leaning over her, his head just next to hers, his free arm grasping the top edge of the backrest, brushing her left shoulder and he radiates invigorating, buoyant warmth. Hiyori knows it's not entirely physical sensation but more of a spiritual one, however she's not sure if other gods do the same or if it's something only characteristic for Yato.

Whichever it is, it feels good.

"Hiyori, how do you like it? Hiyori?"

"Ah!" She snaps back to attention and reddens. "W-What is it, Yato?"

"Were you daydreaming? We're done," he says and she takes a look at the previously empty sheet. Touno-sama's roguish face stares back at her from it, drawn with a surprisingly realistic detail. She stares at it in wonder, awed by the crisp, elegant lines, perfectly arched to form the visage of a famous wrestler and her personal idol.

"Though are you sure you wouldn't want to draw me? I'm going to be a famous god, you know, this could be my first portrait. I could even sign it for you and my future worshippers would fight each other to buy it from you!" Yato proposes, sinking into his fantasies of greatness and fame once again.

Hiyori shakes her head, grinning at the silliness he is displaying.

"Thanks, but this is perfect. That's exactly what I needed. Thank you, Yato," she says sincerely, her eyes glowing with happiness.

He coughs awkwardly and scratches the back of his head self-consciously, looking away to cover up his embarrassment. "It's not a big deal, Hiyori."

Their eyes meet and she is struck by the intense azure, pure colour of the sky piercing her. All of a sudden she feels breathless and flushed. His intoxicating scent permeates the air and she is dazed by it.

The moment is broken when Yato's phone chirps. He reluctantly slides his gaze away from her and paces to the window, taking the call.

"Yato Delivery God, at your service!"

Hiyori collects herself when he talks briefly to the person on the line.

"Sorry, Hiyori, I've got a job! You can draw the rest yourself or should I come back later?" he asks after ending the call.

Hiyori shakes her head. "I can finish it by myself. Thanks a lot, Yato!"

Yato shows her thumbs up and teleports away.

Hiyori is still smiling when she pulls out a fresh pack of crayons from her desk's drawer. With fondness, she selects one to start colouring the background.

Azure blue was always her favourite.

**.**

**The End**

**.**

AN: My first fanfic for Noragami! :) I feel so unoriginal with picking blue, but Yato's eyes are what really pulled me in to like him from the start. They're his best feature and I just love the colour.


	2. Perfect Strangers

Yatori Week Day Two

Prompt: Song lyrics (Perfect Strangers by Deep Purple)

Disclaimer: I don't own Noragami.

AN: It's not canon-compliant, just a what-if story.

**.**

**Perfect Strangers**

**.**

**1.**

Yato looked around, frantically searching for a familiar silhouette of a girl with long rich brown hair. He had separated from Yukine so they could cover more ground and find her faster. They were both awfully late for their meeting with Hiyori to celebrate the New Year, though it wasn't really their fault, only the phantoms' that had kept attacking them. But they were here now and Yato hoped that she was still around, waiting for them, instead of having already left, angry and upset for being stood up.

Through the throngs of people passing him by without a second glance, he finally spotted her loitering nearby a game stand. She was dressed in a nice light pink kimono tied with a pale yellow obi. Yato noticed it right away as he zipped forward, slipping through the cracks in the crowd.

"Hiyori!" he called and waved to get her attention. She seemed not to hear him. "Hey, Hi-yo-o-ri! I'm here!"

Reaching her at last, he patted her upper arm. The girl instead of turning around to scold him for his unpunctuality, jumped away, her expression spooked as she eyed him warily. Yato frowned. Why was she making this face?

"Hiyori, didn't you hear me? I was calling you!"

The girl relaxed her stance and gave him a strange look. "I'm sorry but... who are you? And how do you know my name?" she asked politely.

"What do you mean? It's me, Yato!"

She regarded him with a lack of recognition, a small frown crinkling her brow. "I'm sorry, I don't know any Yato."

Yato laughed. She must be joking. Yes, it had to be some kind of a prank. "Okay, I know you're probably mad I'm late, but I'm really, really sorry! So stop acting like this and let's go find Yukine. We can still have fun together, just like we promised!"

He tried to put an arm around her shoulders, however she slapped it away and stepped back, putting more distance between them. Yato paused, confused with her reaction.

"I don't know you or this Yukine and I don't want to go anywhere with you! Please stop harassing me or I'll scream!" Hiyori told him assertively, then quickly marched away, throwing a few glances over her shoulder to make sure he wasn't going after her.

Yato didn't follow. The distrust in her eyes terrified him too much to move from his spot.

Yukine found him almost an hour later, curled up behind a stack of crates and deaf to the world.

"Yato? Yato, what's wrong?!" the boy asked in alarm and shook the god's arm roughly.

A strangled whimper emerged from behind tightly clenched teeth. "Hiyori... forgot me..."

**2. **

Yato knew. He had known it from the start. He just chose to ignore it, push it to the farthest corner of his mind and pretend it had never existed. Now, it came out of obscurity and he couldn't hide his head in the sand any longer.

When they had met, Hiyori had given him a job. A job he was planning on putting away to the end of time.

The job was to cure her condition.

Yato was aware he should be the one to blame that Hiyori had become a half-phantom, therefore he should be also the one to fix it. However, she was someone new, someone nice to him. She hadn't known about his past and even when she'd learned some of it, she hadn't stopped seeking out his company. She was too curious, too kind and he was too starved for attention to finish the job and keep her away.

Yato knew that she needed to be cut off from the spiritual world. It was too dangerous for her to leave her body as frequently as she had been doing and most of these instances were triggered by his presence. And how many times was she placed in the middle of his fights? All it took was one moment of inattention and the cord keeping her attached to the physical realm could be severed irreparably. The risk was simply too high.

The god clenched his fists.

He had to stay away from her. Let her forget him.

Live her life happily.

But if it was what he really wanted for her, then why was he shaking?

It's just cold, Yato assured himself. He wasn't sobbing.

**3.**

Yukine jumped onto the roof, landing in a crouch next to the lounging Yato. Heavy droplets of water fell from his jacket and mingled with the rain. "Can you stop doing this?" the boy asked sharply.

Yato glanced at him lazily. "What do you mean? I'm not doing anything."

Yukine made a face. He was a teenager, but he wasn't an idiot. He wouldn't believe in Yato's blatant lie, when the god was sprawled on a roof of a building right across a street from Hiyori's house. Like he did every night since her memory loss came about.

"It's raining," Yukine said pointedly.

"Yes, it is."

"We should find some shelter and dry off, you know."

Yato didn't move a muscle, his electric blue eyes trained on the family house. There was still a small light in one bedroom. Hiyori didn't go to sleep yet.

"I miss her, too," Yukine said in a subdued tone. He didn't have the energy to get angry, not when he was so close to Hiyori and yet he couldn't have been any farther. She was important to him, too, but Yato... Yukine sighed. "You said we need to let her go. How... how can we do that if we're always hanging around here?"

Yato was silent. He didn't know the answer.

"You can go if you want. I will stay a little bit longer," he said finally.

Yukine bit his lip, then sat down next to Yato.

The rain was drumming on the roof tiles throughout the whole night as they kept vigil over Hiyori.

This was all they could do now.

**4.**

Yato was sitting in a tree outside Hiyori's classroom. It was a lazy afternoon for him and he had nothing to do for a while, so he came to see her.

Hiyori was diligently taking notes on whatever the lesson was about, but at some point halfway through the lecture her mind began to wander. She leaned her chin on her hand and looked out of the window. She blinked dazedly. She thought she saw someone out there, but it was probably just the branches moving in the wind.

It sometimes happened to her, seeing things that weren't there anymore when she craned her neck to take a better look.

From time to time, she felt like there was something, _someone,_ missing in her life, but she couldn't quite put a finger on what or who it might be. It was like deja vu – the impression of familiarity, even though she had no recollection of ever experiencing anything of the sort. The hollow place gnawing at her chest. It made her uncomfortable and sad, and anxious all at the same time.

Hiyori sighed. This feeling would pass. It always did.

_Even if you can't remember, I will. Thank you, Hiyori_, a gust of wind carried to her a message she couldn't hear.

Outside, Yato smiled painfully and jumped to the roofs. He had to leave.

It was for the better.

**.**

**The End**

**.**


	3. Apology

Yatori Week Day Three

Prompt: Apology

Disclaimer: I don't own Noragami.

**.**

**Apology**

**.**

"Hiyori! Hey, Hiyori!"

Yato was waiting for her after the classes, leaning nonchalantly against the school gate. Hiyori purposely walked right past him, avoiding eye contact.

The god blinked stupidly, then rushed after her. "What, you won't say hi to me? That's mean." He pouted at the brush-off before he swiftly changed the topic. "You're going home? I'll walk you!"

She didn't reply, but instead quickened her steps. Yato easily caught up with her, smiling and talking all the way to her house, but in return she only gave him a cold shoulder. When they reached her doorstep, Hiyori just fished the keys out of her pocket, went inside and slammed the door in his face. All without saying a word.

Yato frowned. It was a first time ever that she had flat out ignored him and he didn't have a clue what this was all about. She hadn't even laughed at his jokes! Scratch that, she'd given absolutely no reaction to anything he had said! He'd told her a story about his precious ancient pot (he'd totally made it all up) and she hadn't dropped even the smallest of smiles!

Maybe just she was in a bad mood today? Yato could understand it. He would come tomorrow.

The next day Hiyori was still ignoring him. And the third day, too.

This was troubling. This was very, very troubling.

**.**

"Yato-chan, what's the matter?" Kofuku asked, peering up at his face, which was buried in his hands. He had been mumbling to himself for a while and although she knew he was prone to dramatics, this time it seemed like he had a serious problem on his hands.

"Hiyori is ignoring him," Yukine answered in his master's place.

"Hmm... That's bad," Kofuku said inappropriately cheerfully. Yato banged his head a few times on the low table he was sitting at.

"Hey, be careful, you freeloader! That table is expensive!" bellowed Daikoku from the kitchen, where he was preparing evening tea for everyone.

"There, there," Kofuku patted Yato's back in the attempt to comfort him. Instead of that, he burst into uncontrollable, comical tears.

"Hiyori doesn't like me anymo-oo-ore! What did I dooooo?!" he wailed.

Yukine scoffed. Yato was sometimes such a moron, even if he was a god.

"What? Do you know something? Tell me, Yukine!" Yato demanded, trying to sound scary, but the dripping red nose and scratchy voice kind of ruined the desired effect.

The boy shrugged. "Why don't you ask Hiyori yourself?"

"She's ignoring me! That's why I can't ask her!"

"Well, maybe she has a reason. You must have upset her somehow," Yukine replied snidely.

Kofuku nodded energetically. "Don't worry, Yato-chan! You just need to apologize! Hiyorin will forgive you!"

Yato turned to her hopefully. "Really? You sure, Kofuku?"

"Mhm!" the goddess replied optimistically.

**.**

The apology turned out to be a disaster.

Hiyori didn't even take a look at the flowers and chocolates he'd gotten for her. Once again, she had treated him like air and it was starting to tire the god.

What was her deal? He apologized, didn't he? What more did she want?

"Hiyori! Wait!" he called after her sharply and she actually for once reacted, stopping for a second to hear him out. Yato seized the chance. "At least tell me why you're angry! Please!"

She slowly turned around. There was a shadow over her eyes from the long fringe and her expression was downright furious. Yato took a step back in shock. He didn't know Hiyori was capable of looking so scary.

"If you really don't know, then there's nothing to talk about," she said icily. "I'm going." She turned her back to him, but Yato wasn't ready to let her leave like that, without explaining anything. He was fed up with wondering what she was mad about. It was high time for some answers!

"You're not going anywhere until you tell me what's wrong!" he yelled out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back.

"No! Let go! Let me go, Yato!" Hiyori batted with her other hand at his arm to make him lose his grip and free herself.

"Just tell me what did I do!"

But she didn't answer, just shouted at him to stop and leave her alone. Yato was becoming desperate. He grabbed her other hand and they briefly grappled, fighting for control. Hiyori had much more strength in her arms than he was led to believe, but eventually, as a god, he overcame her struggling, smaller form and pinned her to a wall. She tried to twist away from his grasp and even kick him, however it was all in vain. He just had much more experience in fighting and he was determined to achieve his goal.

Soon, they were both panting with fatigue, staring at each other – he with resolve and she in resignation. Hiyori had to admit she was trapped. She hung her head, refusing to look at him.

"Hiyori?" Yato asked, softer and gentler than anytime she had ever heard him before. "Please, look at me. Please," he was practically begging. Still, she was back to ignoring him. "What did I do? Please, tell me. I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry. Just tell me. Whatever it is, I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"No, you won't," she mumbled defiantly.

"I give you my word, I will," he said sincerely.

"You won't, because you can't," she replied shakily and he realized she was trembling. A few drops fell from her cheeks onto the ground. She was silently crying.

"What is it? Hiyori? Why are you crying? What's wrong?" Yato asked, getting increasingly more alarmed. He let go of her arms and they fell to her sides limply. Even though it was a perfect opportunity, she didn't use it to escape.

Hiyori shook her head, more tears leaking out of her eyes. "Y-you won't understand."

"How do you know? Maybe I will."

"Y-You're n-not a girl."

Yato frowned. Maybe he should bring Hiyori to Kofuku if it was something about girly stuff? But no, Hiyori had a problem only with him, no one else, and so he had to set things straight by himself.

"Just try me," Yato said, lifting her chin with a finger to look her in the eyes. They were red and already puffy. Her eyelashes were stuck to each other with the salty wetness that also stained her flushed cheeks. Yato wiped some of it with his thumb on reflex. He didn't like seeing her cry.

The serious look in his cool blue eyes mesmerized the girl, but also let her know he wasn't joking around. He really wanted to know.

"You'll probably think it's nothing," she whispered, relenting. "It's just that... for me... I can't..." she struggled, grasping for words which failed her. She took in a huge breath. "I don't want you to take over my body ever again. Please."

She looked at him skittishly and quickly averted her gaze. She half-expected him to laugh it off just like four days ago, when the incident with body possession had taken place. She thought he would say that she was oversensitive, that she couldn't take a joke. But, in reality, Hiyori was tired of pretending that she was okay, that since no harm was done she would simply forget it, as if it didn't matter to her. It did, because she couldn't forget feeling angered, shamed and inexplicably violated all at once. Everyone in the school reminded her of the incident. People who remembered Yato's embarrassing antics were often accosting her in the hallways and some of them weren't all that nice. Thankfully, she was able to get away from the less than savoury types, but it was impossible to run away from the fear of another possession.

"Hiyori..." The god was now the one who found himself at a loss. Seeing her like this awakened his usually skewered sense of conscience. The pangs of guilt hit him hard like a punch in a gut and he struggled to speak. "I... I didn't know..."

Of course he didn't. How could he, when he was a god? He didn't require a body of his own, so he couldn't quite understand its value to a human. And Hiyori had covered up her emotions, her hurt on that day so well that he hadn't realized anything was amiss until much, much later, when she had already bottled it all up inside.

Yato felt like a total bastard. Selfish, unapologetic, utter bastard.

Hiyori jerked up when a hand cupped her cheek carefully, like she was made from porcelain and he was afraid he would break her. She looked at him in askance, wide-eyed and vulnerable.

"I'm sorry, Hiyori. Please, forgive me. I was stupid. I shouldn't have done this to you." Yato leaned in to her and hesitantly put his arm around her back. She didn't fight him when he pulled her into a gentle embrace. "I'm such an idiot," he murmured self-deprecatingly.

Hiyori sniffed and nodded. "You are."

Yato sighed. "Will you forgive this idiot?"

She considered it for a moment and peered up at him. "Will you swear not to do that again?"

"I swear," he said, completely serious. He meant it.

"Then I forgive you."

Hiyori pressed her face into the crook of his neck and in response he tightened his hold on her.

In that moment, Yato made another, secret promise only to himself – that he would be more mindful of Hiyori's feelings. She was too important to him and he didn't want to see her cry because of his carelessness ever again.

These were both promises he intended to keep.

**.**

**The End**

**.**

AN: I'll give you two important pieces of information. One – I'm not that good at writing silly Yato. Two – Noragami Ova was a disgusting piece of crap. I think that apology was long overdue.


	4. Spring Raspberries

Yatori Week Day Four

Prompt: Blush

Disclaimer: I don't own Noragami.

**.**

**Spring Raspberries**

**.**

"This is nice," Hiyori sighs, staring at the great blue above her dreamily.

She stretches out on the early spring grass, arms and legs askew, closing her eyes to concentrate only on what her other senses are telling her. She breathes in the aroma of the fresh greenery – it's damp and rich like the soil it takes the minerals from, but she can feel that it's also springy and soft, and maybe a little scratchy on the exposed skin of her arms and lower back. She hears the chirping of birds and thinks that they're probably building nests for their families. The thought brings a happy smile to her face, because it reminds her of Yato. She surmised long ago that prior to their meeting he was always alone, adrift in the world, so it fills her with happiness that at last he's found a place to stay and call home.

And it's with her.

"Thanks for showing me this spot, Yato," she says, smiling lazily as she basks in the sun.

The god is sitting next to her, playing with a long grass blade he's plucked. His attention is riveted to her slight body. She is dressed in skinny jeans buckled with a cute, pleated belt. Her shirt rode up when she laid down, exposing the belly button. Yato smirks mischievously and waits until she is all limp and relaxed, then attacks.

"Pffft!"

"Iyaaaa!"

Hiyori jerks up, her eyes shooting open as he's blowing raspberries on her navel. She squirms and wiggles, laughing uncontrollably and finally she pushes his head away from her stomach and quickly pulls her shirt down, scrambling backwards to escape from his immediate range. She sits up, gasping for breath spasmodically and clutching the bottom of her shirt defensively. Her cheeks are rosy pink from laughter and her eyes are misty, but she rubs the moisture away with a careful swipe.

Hiyori finally recovers enough to yell at the mirthful god. "Yato! Why did you do that?! Do you want to kill me?"

"Mmmm... No reason." Yato grins unashamedly and slithers suavely up to her, leaning much closer than strictly necessary. Hiyori is petrified and her blush blooms into a scarlet red. His smile turns predatory and she can't turn away even if she tried. Their faces are so close she might have counted his eyelashes if she was inclined to do so, but instead she tips her head back to create more distance from him. Yato fluidly follows, leaving next to no space between them. That's how Hiyori lands in an awkward position, half-sitting, half laying, her elbows digging into the ground as she bends back with a god looming over her.

"Yato, maybe you should back off..." she says nervously.

"Are you scared,_ Hi-yo-ri_?" he asks mockingly in return and she is quick to rebuke his claim.

"N-No! I'm not scared!"

His eyes are half-lidded and glinting in unbidden menace. Hiyori swallows.

"Well, _you should_."

Another attack catches her completely off guard and she shrieks and falls flat on her back when his hands run up and down her sides, reaching all of her ticklish spots and setting her off into peals of laughter.

"Yato! Stop!" she pleads between the spasmodic cries, but he's relentless in his assault. Hiyori puts up a weak resistance at first, but then she gives up and just laughs her head off. Even after he finally ceases the tickling, she just can't stop chuckling hoarsely as she twitches on the ground, her energy totally spent.

Yato eyes his handiwork in satisfaction and settles in the grass by her side. It's comfortable to just lounge in a sun and enjoy the company of a pretty girl who's name just happens to be Hiyori. He wishes they could do this every day from now on.

"That was mean," Hiyori speaks after she sufficiently calms down. Her voice is scratchy and shaky with exhaustion, but she manages to lift her head and glare at him. "I really thought I would die..."

Yato looks at her in amusement. "You didn't, did you? Besides..." he swings his arm around her middle and hauls her closer. Hiyori instinctively flinches, expecting another round of tickling but instead he pecks her cheek swiftly and retreats, blushing. "I wouldn't be able to do this if I killed you with tickles," he finishes the thought.

"Ya-Yato!" she whispers in shock, but the blush is even more prominent on her face.

"W-What?" he asks, flustered. Was he too forward?

"You dummy!" This time, it's Hiyori who jumps him. She braces herself atop the god, pinning him to the ground. "If you wanted to k-k-kiss, you should have said so!" she says seriously.

He looks up at her in shock and amazement. "Hiyo..." he tries to say her name, but is cut off when she bends down, her eyes shut tightly as she assaults him a flurry of small kisses on his face.

Finally, their lips meet, almost accidentally, and the bolt of pleasure shoots right through them. Hiyori pulls back, surprised at the sudden sensation. She blushes again (how many times did she blush already?) and Yato also feels his cheeks burning.

"I..." she doesn't finish, because he yanks her down and captures her lips in another kiss.

This is their perfect moment.

**.**

**The End**

**.**


	5. First Beer

Yatori Week Day Five

Prompt: Firsts

Disclaimer: I don't own Noragami.

**.**

**First Beer**

**.**

The house was dark and silent when Hiyori returned from her day out with the girls. She had stayed much longer than usual and she was fairly tired. The upside to the situation was that her parents were visiting friends in another city for a weekend and they would be back Sunday evening, so tonight she was on her own.

Hiyori took off her boots and coat and trudged to the kitchen to grab something to drink. She switched on the light and recoiled in surprise upon a sight that greeted her there.

"Yato?!" she exclaimed, gaping like a fish at the unexpected intruder, who was comfortably perched on the counter with one leg propped up and the other dangling freely.

"Yo, Hiyori." The god tipped an empty beer can in welcome, then crushed it in his grasp and let it fall to the floor. It clanked a few times as it bounced, until coming to rest among other cans littering the tiles. "You're late. I've started the party without you." After this outrageous statement, he opened a new beer and took a large swing from it.

"What party?!" Hiyori screamed out, incensed. "I didn't invite you! And did you drink all of my father's beer?!" She could just imagine how much trouble she'd find herself in if her parents noticed the missing alcohol. They would no doubt think that she drank it!

Yato didn't seem concerned about her situation in the least.

"Nope, I saved some for you. Catch!" He tossed her another beer and Hiyori fumbled with it gracelessly before finally managing to get a proper grip. She looked at him, confused.

"Let's drink up!" Yato demanded from her. "Sharing a drink with a god is a great honour, you know! So feel honoured!" he said imperiously.

"I don't want to drink! Go away!" Hiyori immediately objected.

"Come oooon! Hi-yo-riiii!" Yato whined like a kid who didn't get his way.

"I'm too young, I can't drink!" she tried to reason with him, but Yato was – surprise, surprise – completely unreasonable.

"I want you drink with me! Just one beer! It won't hurt you!" he cajoles insistently.

Hiyori sighed in exasperation. "If I drink this, will you go away?"

Yato bobbed his head up and down. "Yeah! Now, drink!"

Hiyori popped the lid open and hesitated for a moment. She had never consumed alcohol and she wasn't too keen on starting so early in her life, but if it was just one time, then surely nothing bad would happen, right? She cautiously took a sip and grimaced at the bitter taste. It was horrendous! How people could enjoy this?

Yato was grinning, pleased that she listened to him. "Let's toast, Hiyori! To my future shrine!" He raised his beer and with resignation, Hiyori bumped it with her own. Giving out a sigh, Hiyori decided to get it over quickly, like drinking a bad-tasting medicine, and chugged down the contents of her can all in one go.

Yato whistled. "Hiyori, you're a badass! Here, have one more!" He pushed another beer into her hands.

"That's enough, Yato! I don't want more! And you said you'd go!" she protested, but he tuned everything out besides that last part.

"I thought you wanted to spend more time with me?" he asked, making a pitiful expression of a kicked puppy.

Hiyori reddened in mortification. Why did he have to bring this up now? She hid her face behind her palms, still holding the beer. Its coolness brushed against her burning cheeks, soothing them.

"Please, stop," she muttered, pressing the can to her skin. She wanted the blush to go down quickly.

Yato gave her an inscrutable look, which she didn't see, as she was still hiding her face. "Alright, I'll go," he finally relented. The god hopped off the counter and sauntered to the door.

Hiyori raised her head to watch his exit, but the sudden movement made her dizzy. She gasped, feeling light-headed and swayed on her feet, imbalanced. She would have fallen over if not for two strong arms which grabbed her under her armpits and held her up.

Hiyori's head lolled forward and thumped against Yato's sternum. He smelled nice. The girl buried her nose in his jersey and inhaled that intoxicatingly good scent deeper.

"You alright?" Yato asked.

"Mmm, yeshhh... Am fine..." Hiyori purred.

The god shook his head in a suspended disbelief over how much of a lightweight she turned out to be. "I'll get you to bed, come on."

Yato half-dragged, half-carried Hiyori's drunken body up the stairs. When he got her to the bedroom, she didn't want to let go of him, mumbling something about a good smell. Finally, he managed to unlatch her from his jersey and tuck her into the bed.

"Tch, you're no fun, Hiyori," Yato complained, but there was a certain fondness in his expression as he looked at the snoring girl. He briefly considered something, then bent down swiftly to place a small kiss on her forehead. "Sweet dreams," he whispered, a bit embarrassed at his uncharacteristic actions, and teleported out of the room.

Hiyori was smiling unconsciously throughout the whole night.

In the morning, she woke up with a headache and no recollection of the previous evening. The hungover girl stumbled down to the kitchen, her throat incredibly parched and demanding water, and almost tripped over an empty beer can. She surveyed the mess littering the floor in confusion, trying hard to remember how did it get there.

Hiyori blinked blearily as the memory steadily trickled back into her mind.

"Aaaahh!" she screamed out in outrage. "It's all Yato's fault!"

Somewhere on a job, the god sneezed.

"You're catching a cold or something?" Yukine asked.

Yato rubbed his nose. "No..."

_I've just got a strangest feeling. Like someone is mad at me for something,_ he thought, then shrugged the premonition off.

_Nah, it's probably nothing._

**.**

**The End**

**.**


	6. Answered Prayer

Yatori Week Day Six

Prompt: Alternate Universe (post-apocalyptic world)

Disclaimer: I don't own Noragami.

**.**

**Answered Prayer**

**.**

The braying and barking was getting closer. Hiyori held her breath and curled up in her hiding spot amongst the rubble. The wild, rabid animals were hot on her trail and she couldn't run anymore. Her sprained ankle couldn't hold her weight. It was swollen and already purplish, throbbing with pain so intense, the girl had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep the whimpers from revealing her location to the mutated beasts out there.

Once, seemingly in a different time, there were days of peace and sunshine and normal life, but now they were irreversibly lost. Since the war had broken out, the world descended into chaos. Entire populations were wiped out, the governments fell and the humanity was on the brink of extinction.

Hiyori doubted if she would survive the next hour. She shuddered as she heard the animal growling becoming louder. They were near. Her only chance was that the pack wouldn't be able to squeeze through the small hole she had crawled through to get into the cramped cave-like space in the ruins of a tall building. And even if they couldn't get inside, she would still probably die of dehydration, because they certainly would not let her get out. She was hopelessly trapped.

If only she hadn't volunteered to leave the safehouse in search of food. Then she might have lived a few years longer.

Hiyori was scared and desperate. And people like her, with no option out, people with a death sentence were the ones who had no choice but to rely on luck and faith.

So she did the only useless thing she could do in these circumstances. She clasped her hands together and prayed for a miracle.

"Gods, if you are there, please save me. Some of you must still be out there. The world has gone mad, but you can't be dead. Please, if any of you hear me, then save me... I'll do anything. Please, oh god, please!"

"Alright, alright, stop being so pushy, I'm here," a voice answered just next to her ear.

Hiyori's eyes flew open and she gasped in astonishment. She would have jumped away from the owner of the voice but there was no place to move into, so she just plastered herself flat against the wall behind her, eyeing the man warily. He was kneeling next to her, taking up the small space. How did he get there? It seemed like he'd just appeared out of nowhere.

He glanced around with disinterest, his azure blue eyes glowing in the dimness of the hideout like cat's eyes, and looked at her again. "What's this dump? You live here?"

Hiyori got over her surprise and bristled indignantly. "Of course not! Does it look like anyone could live here?"

The man smirked. "Well, I wouldn't know. Nowadays, humans are more like rats."

"Why do you say 'humans'? You're a human, too!"

"Actually, no. I'm a god. Yato, at your service."

Hiyori stared at him. He was wearing a dark jersey and a neckerchief. He looked like a gang member from the southern part of the ruined city.

Yato noticed her lack of belief. "Hey, you requested a god's assistance, right? So, here I am. What do you need?"

"There are mutant beasts outside. I can't run away, because my ankle is sprained," she explained her critical situation. Even if he was not right in the head, he could probably still help her out, she figured.

"So, you need me to kill them? That's easy," Yato said confidently.

"Then, you'll do it?!" she asked, her hope for getting out of there alive reignited.

"No."

"What? But you said it's easy!"

Yato shook his head. "First, you need to pay me and I remember you promising 'anything'." His smile was too dangerous.

Hiyori gulped. "I-I don't have any money on myself, but when I get back to the safehouse, I could get you some," she offered.

Yato wagged a finger at her. "I don't need money. In this world, it's useless. What I need... are worshippers. If you will swear to become my loyal and devoted servant, I'll save you. Do we have a deal?" He reached out a hand to her.

Hiyori looked at it, weighing her options, a bit stunned at the extent of this man's delusion. But she needed his help, so she decided to trust her instincts and shook his hand.

"Do you swear to become the servant of me, Yatogami?" he asked formally.

"Yes, I swear," she said determinedly.

Yato nodded in satisfaction. "Then may our paths intertwine for all eternity."

The exchange was strangely spiritual and Hiyori couldn't shake off the feeling that she had just made a binding contract with a stranger without making any conditions of her own. All that was left was to hope that later on it wouldn't really matter.

The beasts howled right outside and they heard scraping noises at the entrance of small tunnel leading to the hideout; they were found.

Yato cracked his neck. "Alright, I'll be back in a moment, I just need to get Yukine. Don't move from this place."

And before Hiyori could sarcastically point out that she wasn't going anywhere with her busted ankle anyway, he was gone. The girl gawked and rubbed her eyes, but he really disappeared. Just like that.

It occurred to her he might not have been lying at all.

A few seconds later, the barking outside was replaced by yelping and whining. The mutants were audibly hurt and Hiyori longed to see what was happening. She crawled to the narrow tunnel and after checking if nothing was in there, she wormed her way through it.

When she got to the exit, she cautiously peeked out to see if any beasts were around, waiting to get a drop on her. Her eyes widened as she saw the slayed mutants, laying crumpled on the ground. Amongst the carnage stood Yato, holding a beautiful blade she hadn't seen on him when he had first appeared.

The god noticed her almost immediately. "I told you not to move," he said, irritated. "Is that how you're going to follow my orders?"

Hiyori didn't answer, instead focusing on wriggling out of the mouth of the tunnel. She tried to stand up, but her injured leg buckled under her weight and she fell on her knees heavily. It was no use, she couldn't walk.

The god said a name and his weapon transformed into a young blond teenager. Hiyori stared, momentarily forgetting about her problems. How often do you see an item change into a person?

"This is Yukine, he's my Regalia," Yato introduced the boy.

"Hello, I'm Iki Hiyori. Pleased to meet you," she responded in kind, finally revealing her name to the god. Though she wasn't sure if there was any need to, because he could have already known it as a result of his divine powers.

Yato headed for her and crouched, presenting his back to the girl. "Get on, I'll carry you."

"O-Ok!" Hiyori was pleasantly surprised that he didn't leave her after all, as it had been her main suspicion all along. From experience she knew not to overly trust people, as they tended to stab you whenever you grew too comfortable and turned your back to them. The world wasn't as safe as it had been before the calamity of the great war.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and latched her legs around his waist. Yato grabbed her thighs and adjusted her position comfortably before standing up. He set off at a moderate pace with Yukine staying close by his side.

Hiyori quickly realized that something was wrong. "Where are you going?" she asked, perplexed. "The way to the safehouse is in the opposite direction!"

Yato chuckled. "Who said I'm going to _your_ safehouse?"

"B-But!" Hiyori fumbled for words. "Where are you taking me then?" she finally questioned.

"My place, so you can get started on your end of the deal."

Hiyori acknowledged that there was probably nothing she could do. She had made a lifelong commitment to the god and it seemed like he fully expected her to honour it. She had no choice but to do just that as she didn't know what he might do to her otherwise. She trembled, remembering how he had taken out all of the beasts. On the other hand, she thought, he offered a good protection from mutants and malicious humans alike.

Yes, it was better to stick with him for now, Hiyori decided.

And this is how Yatogami and the first high priestess of the Yato religion met.

**.**

**The End**

**.**


	7. Goodbyes

Yatori Week Day Seven

Prompt: Whatever You Like

Disclaimer: I don't own Noragami.

**.**

**Goodbyes**

**.**

It all started during Hiyori's graduation party. They were all gathered at Kofuku's place, eating cake and enjoying themselves with their usual vigor and the fair amount of goofiness so prevalent in the interactions of the small household, when the real bomb was dropped by no other than the high school graduate herself.

"Say, Hiyori-chan, what are you going to do now? Any plans for the future?" Daikoku asked.

The girl smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, actually, I wanted to show you all... this!" she exclaimed proudly, pulling out from her pocket an official-looking paper. "My letter of acceptance! I'm going to study at the national university!"

Everyone looked impressed and happy with her achievement. Daikoku congratulated her, while Kofuku jumped at her and squeezed the stuffing out of her, singing how Hiyorin was the smartest girl in the world. Yukine asked if she would let him see her books when he would finish up with the high school curriculum and Hiyori was pleased to agree. It was so heartwarming that her Yukine-kun took his education so seriously!

Only Yato stayed eerily silent during the whole conversation. He slowly melted into the background, turning invisible, then quietly got up and slipped out of the room. The others didn't notice it, not even Hiyori, who was showered with all the attention, but soon the girl grew concerned over Yato's absence.

She went outside the first chance she got, using an age-old excuse that she needed fresh air. Well, maybe she did, but it wasn't the real purpose of her leaving the party.

Hiyori looked around for Yato, but he wasn't anywhere in the vicinity, so she had to use her fine-tuned sense of smell to track him down. The girl inhaled deeply and followed the unforgettable fragrance of the god. She found him sitting on a bench in the nearest park and nursing the beer he had taken with himself. He was deep in thought, sipping leisurely his drink, the forlorn look on his face giving her a good idea of what he was feeling at the moment.

Hiyori's expression softened as she leaned against a tree, observing him for a while without being noticed. He must have been worried that she would abandon him and find a new life in the big city. After all she was moving away permanently and she would be coming back only for holidays. Most of the year they wouldn't have any real contact. She understood why he might have found it distressing.

Yato got up and, after throwing back the remainder of his beer, tossed the can into a nearby litter bin. He was about to leave when Hiyori stepped out of the shadows.

"Yato, wait," she said seriously.

The god turned to her. "Hiyori? Why aren't you with the others?"

She shrugged. "I should be asking that of you, you know. Is something bothering you?"

"It's nothing," he replied, averting his gaze to the left.

"Is it about me leaving?" Hiyori asked quietly.

Yato looked at her in surprise at her acuteness. She hit the nail on the head, though he didn't want to admit that she was right.

"Yeah, I was just thinking who will buy me meals after you'll go," he turned the issue into a joke instead, throwing in the additional disarming smile.

Hiyori crossed the few steps separating them and grabbed his shoulder. "You don't have to pretend. No one is here, only us." Her gaze was so intense, it took his breath away.

"Right... But what does it matter if I don't want you to go?" he spat out, irritated, wrenching himself out of her grasp.

"I can study at a different university, somewhere near," Hiyori replied without hesitation.

Yato swallowed, realizing that she was dead serious. She would do that for him in a heartbeat, if only he asked it of her. But he wouldn't, because that would break the promise he had made to himself – the promise that he would make her the happiest girl in the world.

The god shook his head. "No. You worked hard for a place at the national university. You deserve to go there and study what you want. Besides, I'll still be here when you'll visit. We will see each other, regardless of where you will live."

Hiyori smiled. She didn't expect Yato to be so supportive and understanding, but it really touched her. She couldn't contain the feelings that arose inside her.

"Hey, Hiyo... ri?!" Yato was taken off guard when she drew him close and wrapped her arms around him. His cheeks were pink and his lips formed an 'o' shape, then he returned the embrace.

"I'm sorry, Yato," Hiyori said softly, her cheek pressed to his neck comfortably as she talked. "I should have told you sooner about this. But, I promise I'll never forget you. And I'll write to you everyday. And I'll definitely visit as often as I can. Is that alright?"

Her eyes were honest as she gazed up at him and Yato gave a smile in return. "Yeah. It'll be good."

Hiyori finally let him go, albeit reluctantly and turned to go back to Kofuku's. The others must have been worried about them already. She took a few steps and looked back at Yato. "Are you coming?"

He nodded and joined her on the way back.

**.**

The few weeks before Hiyori had to leave had been hectic, but she had managed to make time to meet with her friends every day. She cherished their moments together and she knew from Yato and Yukine's expressions that they appreciated it as much, if not more than her.

It felt too soon, but at last the day of Hiyori's departure to the university came along.

Saying goodbye to her parents was the easiest. They had already gone through the same thing with her older brother, so even if her mother teared up a bit, it was still a rather painless endeavour. The same couldn't be said about her other important people – Kofuku hugged her almost to death and didn't want to let go, while Yukine tried to play tough and unaffected but halfway through it he started sobbing and clutched her jacket in a white-knuckled grip.

The ones who took her farewells the calmest were Daikoku and, surprisingly, Yato. The god gave her a small hug and said something cheeky about developing his cult before she came back for a break. That was it.

Hiyori felt strangely disappointed with such a normal reaction. Usually Yato was much more dramatic than that and it filled her with uneasiness about just how indifferently he acted towards her leaving.

The young woman sighed and stared out of a window, observing the world quickly passing by as the train sped to its destination. Her new life as university student was waiting for her, with many new possibilities and avenues open and ready to be taken. However, she couldn't shrug off the melancholy that settled around her like a heavy cloud.

She would miss everyone so, so much.

The train ride ended in a few hours and Hiyori was left standing awkwardly on a station, unsure where to go. She read the signs and picked the hopefully right direction, using the city map to get to the place she was going to rent.

As she was walking down a deserted pathway, from the corner of her eye she noticed a passing shadow, however she didn't break her stride. Whoever was stalking her would get a nasty surprise if they tried to attack.

Another glimpse of fast movement gave Hiyori all the reason to drop her luggage and kick out at the suspicious figure. Her leg rammed into a person's gut and sent them flying into a wall of a building. Hiyori took a closer look at her stalker.

"Yato?! What are you doing here?!" she cried out, totally bewildered, even as she ran to kneel next to his defeated form. Yato accepted her hand and she helped him get to his feet.

"I decided I'll move here, too," the god explained, wincing and rubbing his stomach. She got him good with that kick. "In a big city like this, there will be probably more jobs for me, so I'll save more money for my temple, you know."

Hiyori smiled brightly, knowing this was only a part of the reason for his appearance here and not even a big one. "I guess you're right. Finding jobs must be tough for you. Is that everything?" She regarded him expectantly, reading him like an open book and he shifted on his feet.

"I... I thought you'll miss me," Yato added, looking embarrassed with this admittance. "Why are you smiling like that?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Hiyori was now grinning. She leaned up to him and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm just glad you came here."

Yato returned the smile. "Me, too."

**.**

**The End**

**.**


End file.
